Opisthobranch egg masses
October 7, 2000
From: Phanor Montoya
Dear Bill:
Could you identify these egg masses? They were are all found on the brown alga Dictyota dichotoma.
Phanor.
phamont@eudoramail.com
Montoya, P., 2000 (Oct 7) Opisthobranch egg masses. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3105
Dear Phanor,
Although in rare cases, such as in the dorid genus Rostanga, it is possible to identify egg masses to individual species, in most cases its is difficult to be sure.
Of your three egg masses:
• UPPER RIGHT: I am pretty sure this is a Sea Hare egg mass, probably a species of Aplysia or possibly Bursatella leachii.
• LOWER LEFT: This is hard to see but seems to be a fine string wrapped around the alga. I suspect it is an aeolid egg string.
• LOWER RIGHT: Could be an elysiid sacoglossan or a species of Nudibanch dorid.
As I said I can't give much more than a guess. That's why I am always asking for photos of animals laying eggs. It is the only way we will ever build up enough information to make identifying eggs to a species level, a real possibility.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
Related messages
-
Huge egg mass - Doris montereyensis ?
From: Jackie Hildering, August 14, 2007 -
Pleurobranchus forskalii eggs?
From: Brian James, May 3, 2005 -
Pink tiny nudibranch and concentric rings
From: Francesca Riolo, March 25, 2005 -
Galapagos egg ribbon
From: Julianne Parolisi, January 2, 2005 -
Nudibranch eggs on a fish
From: Chris Grossman, August 4, 2004 -
Unknown egg mass from Turkey
From: Erwin Koehler , October 8, 2002 -
Nudibranch Egg masses
From: Laurette Hanekom, July 19, 2002 -
Eggs
From: Alice Lee, July 18, 2002 -
Platydoris formosa? - egg ribbon
From: Todd Garthwaite, June 27, 2002 -
Do Sea Slugs lay eggs?
From: Emily, March 13, 2002 -
A strange place to lay eggs
From: Mary Jane Adams , January 25, 2002 -
Baki's Egg coils
From: Bernard Picton, November 6, 2001 -
Whose eggs are these?
From: Baki Yokes, November 2, 2001 -
Are these eggs?
From: Beniamino Usai, October 23, 2001 -
number of eggs
From: Jeanette McInnes, October 7, 2001 -
How many eggs do sea slugs lay?
From: MIKE, October 4, 2000 -
Eggs to identify
From: Valda Fraser, February 21, 2000